Caldwell County is alerting residents and local businesses to phishing attempts involving fraudulent emails and invoices targeting active planning and permit applicants, informing them of application status and requesting fee payments.

 

These scam messages may appear to originate from a Caldwell County official or a county department, but they are not legitimate.

 

No Caldwell County office or department will ever request payment by wire transfer, nor will they ask you to reply to an email to receive payment instructions. These are attempts by bad actors to gain access to sensitive financial information. Official fees are collected only in person or through approved county payment platforms.

 

Please check the sender's email address. All official County email addresses end in "@co.caldwell.tx.us." Any message sent from a different domain should be treated as suspicious. Fraudulent emails may include documents displaying the County seal or formatting designed to appear official in an attempt to mislead recipients.

 

If you send an email informing you of the status of an application that requests payment:

 

Residents and businesses are strongly encouraged to verify the legitimacy of any payment request by contacting the department directly using verified contact information from the county’s official website. Do not rely on phone numbers or email addresses provided in suspicious communications.

 

When in doubt, individuals may visit the appropriate county department during regular business hours to confirm whether a billing request is valid.